Supporting individuals to improve mental and physical wellbeing through healthy lifestyle practices.Move Your Mood (MYM) is a research-based program that promotes physical activity and healthy lifestyle practices to improve the mental and physical well-being of participants. The MYM program provides opportunities for participants to experience how to move their bodies, fuel their bodies, practice mindfulness, and build positive coping strategies. Evidence from the MYM research study indicates that a physical activity program must be at least 8 weeks to see change in mental well-being. The goal is that participants have fun in the program, gain confidence and competence to be active and healthy for life.
The original Child and Youth program
The program aims to allow youth to experience a variety of fun ways to move and be healthy in their own community. We partner with many local agencies to run the program to expose youth to fun activities they can continue in the future. Check the service listing for the location closest to you for dates, times, and contact information.
Postpartum Program in person and virtual
This free, referral-based program also runs in eight-week intervals for moms who are at least 6 week’s postpartum and with babies under 1 year of age. The program typically takes place at a local Recreation Centre engaging women in different forms of exercise such as; strollercize, yoga, pilates and strength training. The program also incorporates the five core components of MYM with guest speakers that help develop skills in positive coping, mindfulness, relationship building, healthy eating and building assets in their children. During the COVID-19 program has been adapted to a virtual format over Zoom . Our goal is to reopen the live 8 week sessions but also continue to offer the virtual program for Mom’s across Central Alberta at least once per year. Contact us, if your are interested in becoming involved in a targeted program.
Family Challenge
The Family MYM Challenge is an opportunity for families to try different ways to be healthy together and create positive connections. The challenge provides different ideas on how families can move together, cook and eat together, practice mindfulness and build positive coping strategies, as well as learn about the 40 developmental assets to help their kids grow up great. The challenge was offered virtually during the pandemic and will move forward with both individual community challenges and an opportunity for all Central Alberta families to join.
School Challenge
The school challenge runs during Mental Health Awareness week in May. The challenge encourages all schools K-12 across Central Zone to take part. The goal is to increase awareness on the importance of mental health and how to improve mental health through healthy lifestyles practices. The school is encouraged to have the students read daily messages to the entire school and share one way to be incorporate a healthy choice each day. Students can use the ideas provided or get creative and make their own.
Community
The MYM program also aims at being involved in the community to help share the MYM message with other programs and projects that link the benefits of physical activity and healthy lifestyles to mental health. This includes community presentations, displays and projects like; Move Your Mood School Fun Run, Community Better ParticipACTION challenge, and the spray painted games for families to be active in local parks.
Training for Communities
The AHS Prevention & Promotion Central Zone team works within their identified communities to establish partners that want to assist in the delivery of Move Your Mood programs. The team works with the community partner to provide training, planning and implementation of the program.
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